The present invention relates to collecting data for a geographic database and more particularly, relates to using hand and/or finger gestures to collect data for a geographic database.
Geographic databases have various uses. Geographic databases are used in in-vehicle navigation systems, personal computers, networked computing environments, and various other kinds of platforms, as well as on the Internet. Geographic databases are used with various kinds of applications to provide various functions including map display, route calculation, route guidance, truck fleet deployment, traffic control, electronic yellow pages, emergency services, and so on.
To provide these kinds of functions, a geographic database includes data that represent geographic features in a covered geographic region. Geographic databases include details about represented geographic features, such as the geographic coordinates of roads in a geographic region, speed limits along the road segments, locations of stop lights, turn restrictions at intersections of roads, address ranges, street names, and so on. Geographic databases may also include information about points of interest in covered regions. Points of interest may include restaurants, hotels, airports, gas stations, stadiums, police stations, and so on.
Collecting information for a geographic database is a significant task. Not only is the initial collection of data a significant undertaking, but a geographic database needs to be updated on a regular basis. For example, new streets are constructed, street names change, traffic lights are installed, and turn restrictions are added to existing roads. Also, new levels of detail may be added about geographic features that are already represented in an existing geographic database. For example, an existing geographic database for roads may be enhanced with information about lane widths, shoulder sizes, lane barriers, address ranges, sidewalks, bicycles paths, etc. Thus, there exists a need to continue to collect information for a geographic database.
According to one method, technicians (referred to herein as xe2x80x9cresearchersxe2x80x9d) are assigned the task of collecting data for a geographic database. Each researcher may physically travel throughout an assigned area and record information about observed geographic features. While in the field, the researcher may record the observed information by physically writing on a printed copy of a map. For example, the researcher may write a description about an attribute of a geographic feature adjacent to the representation of the geographic feature on the map. After the data is collected in the field, the researcher uses a computer program to enter data to a main copy of the geographic database. Working from the marked-up printed copy of the map, the researcher makes additions and/or changes to the data in the geographic database to reflect the actual geographic features observed by the researcher while out in the field.
Although this process works well, there is room for improvement. For example, writing descriptions of geographic features onto a printed copy of a map can be time-consuming. Also, it can be difficult to write information legibly while traveling in a moving vehicle.
Computerized data collection techniques for acquiring certain types of geographic data are known. However, known computerized data collection techniques are not suitable for collection of certain kinds of geographic data attributes.
Moreover, laptop computers and other equipment that might lay on or near the researcher""s lap during data collection may be inconvenient or uncomfortable with these devices being in close proximity to the researcher while in the vehicle. Also, similar to the difficulty with writing in a moving vehicle, using a mouse, pen, stylus, or touch-screen display to collect data can also be difficult and often frustrating to the researcher.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide an improved method and system for collecting data for a geographic database.
To address these and other objectives, the present embodiment comprises a data collection system including a hand-gesture responsive device connected to a computing device used by a researcher to collect and input data for a geographic database. The data collection system is transported by the researcher along roads in a geographic area. As the data collection system is being transported, the positions of the data collection system are obtained. Programming in the data collection system recognizes hand and/or finger gestures from the researcher. The data collection system stores data indicating an obtained position with a type of data associated with the gesture. The data obtained by the data collection system is used to add data to or modify data in the geographic database. The data obtained by the data collection system is displayed so that the researcher can add or modify data records in the geographic database.
According to another aspect, a data collection system includes a position determining system that continuously determines the position of the data collecting system as the data collecting system is being transported along roads in a geographic area. A gesture recognition unit in the data collection system recognizes a gesture from an attending researcher. Speech synthesis programming in the data collection system converts the recognized gesture from text to speech that is played back for the researcher to hear. Upon receiving a confirmation from the researcher, the data collection system stores the text along with a position obtained by the position determining system. The data obtained by the data collection system may be displayed so that the researcher can add or modify data records in the geographic database.
The present embodiment provides computerized interpretation of hand and/or finger gestures to input data into the data collection system in a safe and substantially accurate manner. Moreover, the present embodiment may be used to input data at a relatively high speed while allowing for an xe2x80x9ceyes-freexe2x80x9d data entry, which makes it desirable for in-vehicle data collection.